5 Well-Crafted Light(er) Beers for Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, much like St. Patrick’s Day has become one of those Hallmark drinking holidays in much of the United States. While many partaking in the day’s fill of Mexican food and Tequila can’t even tell you what Cinco de Mayo is (no, it’s not Mexican Independence Day), one major retail push during this time is for none other than light beer; in particular, the light Mexican lagers that have been tried-and-true companions to our share of tacos and chips & guac. If you’re the kind of beer drinker that often rolls to a family party with a cooler of hoppy IPAs so that you can avoid the house swill, we’ve rounded up a list of five well-crafted beers that are sure to be crowd-pleasers to even the most newbiest of beer newbs. Oh, and they’re all available in cans that will surely fool your most lager-loyal family members.

El Sully – 21st Amendment: Our first cerveza of choice comes from California’s 21st Amendment Brewery. El Sully is a crisp Mexican lager which boasts an easy-drinking 4.8% abv. The use of a traditional Mexican lager yeast strain and flaked maize gives this gluggable brew some added street cred while still retaining a clean malt backbone.

Mexican Logger – Ska Brewing: Colorado’s Ska Brewing has been brewing their Mexican Logger for a few years now but has only recently hit expanded west coast distribution. This 5.2% brew is incredibly light and is a killer companion to lazy sunny days on the patio. A light hop personality from Saaz hops peeks out only a little to keep you wondering.

Mama’s Little Yella Pils – Oskar Blues: The originators of craft beer in a can have done very well over the years with their take on a traditional Czech Pilsner. Mama’s Little Yella Pils cuts no corners unlike the soul-less commercial “pilsners” on the market often loaded with corn or rice.

Anchor Lager – Anchor Brewing: Anchor Brewing has been the OG California brewery and has been preserving the history of beer in the Golden State as far back as the Gold Rush. Anchor Lager first debuted in 2012 and is as throwback as it gets; a light lager based on an original recipe from 1876. From the liquid in the can to the design elements on the packaging, this is truly an homage to the early wild west.

Pivo Hoppy Pils – Firestone Walker Brewing Co.: We can’t lie. Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils ranks incredibly high on The Full Pint crew’s favorite (and most crushable) beers. While this is definitely the hoppiest brew on the list, the multi-award-winning Pivo is a refreshingly crisp beer that we feel has the magical powers to convert many light lager drinkers into (at least) an entry-level hop head.